Stroke

Stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, resulting in brain damage.  A stroke can occur for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways.  Depending on the type of stroke, a person may experience difficulty with speech, word-finding, comprehension, cognition (e.g.: attention, memory, problem-solving, or organization), social skills, and/or swallowing.

• Dysarthria is a motor-speech disorder that may result from stroke. A person with dysarthria may exhibit facial or tongue weakness that negatively affects pronunciation, making it difficult to speak or be understood.

• Aphasia is a language disorder that may result from a stroke. It can negatively affect the ability to express oneself or the ability to understand others. Symptoms include word-finding difficulty and/or comprehension deficits.

• Dysphagia is a swallow disorder that may result from stroke. A person with dysphagia may have difficulty chewing, controlling, or swallowing food, liquid, or even pills.

• Right Hemisphere Disorder (RHD) may result from stroke. In the case of RHD, a person’s social communication, narrative skills, and cognitive function are negatively affected. RHD may also result in decreased awareness into one’s deficits as well as changes to emotional responses or personality.